this photo was not staged.
it made my heart hitch.
there are a ridiculous amount of moments where i feel inadquete as a mother.
and i've been trying to lean into the parenting affirmation--that i'm the perfect mother for my children.
and this week i felt that.
when bronwyn was preparing for the storytelling festival at school.
as i 'directed' her a bit on her story and watched all her natural talent--i had this little heart-bursting joy that maybe i was just the right mom for her.
a mom that would raise her kids on a steady diet of fairy tales and direct her on just the right pauses, and voices, and encourage her to add a little sing-song here or there--to lean on her strengths.
and there was a certain moment as she was telling me the story (it's 10 minutes--all memorized) when she said, "and he reached his old hairy hand into the blackberry jam," with her arm making this circular motion grabbing the imaginary blackberry jam and licking it from her fingers--it just got me--so gross, and lovely and perfect.
and so i leaned in--no reason to squander the one moment when i felt like the perfect mother.